Crusaders
| 01/22/26 @ Bolles | 39 |
| 01/19/26 vs Howell North | 64 |
| 01/17/26 vs Lincoln Park Academy | 49 |
| 01/15/26 vs Tocoi Creek | 52 |
| 01/12/26 vs Ridgeview | 74 |
| + 17 more games |
The Bishop Kenny Crusaders will head out to take on the Winter Haven Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Bishop Kenny is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.5 points per game this season.
Bishop Kenny is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Florida's top teams: Bolles, who was ranked ninth at the time (Bishop Kenny was ranked 15th). The Crusaders fell 47-39 to the Bulldogs on Thursday.
Despite their loss, Bishop Kenny saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Shea Donovan, who posted 13 points and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Makala DesJarlais was another key player, putting up seven points and 11 boards.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Winter Haven over Lakeland in every quarter on their way to victory on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Blue Devils blew the Dreadnaughts out of the water with a 76-32 final score. The Blue Devils have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 matchups by 25 points or more this season.
Bishop Kenny better focus on containing Quin'Nya Gray De Sanders and Serenity Hardy as the pair were huge in Winter Haven's win. Gray De Sanders almost dropped a double-double with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Hardy dropped a double-double with 24 points and 11 boards. Hardy's big performance that evening made it 21 games in a row in which she has scored at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Alyse Mercredi, who almost dropped a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Winter Haven smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 16 consecutive games.
The win snapped Winter Haven's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 13-5 record. As for Bishop Kenny, their defeat ended a nine-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 19-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Bishop Kenny has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Winter Haven struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 30 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Bishop Kenny couldn't quite get it done against Winter Haven when the teams last played back in January of 2021 as they fell 77-66. Thankfully for the Crusaders, Trinity Hardy (who went 10-for-16 on her way to 30 points and three steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
